The difference between the right spot, and being in the lung is only a couple of millimetres, and the block comes with a 1% risk of getting into the lung. Even if you do get into the lung, it is incredibly rare for the patient to get symptomatic from it. We use a tiny needle, and tiny holes in the lung aren't typically problematic.
Despite the reports of him feeling short of breath, in all likelihood, the only way anyone knew the needle was in the lung is because they doc drew back on it and got air. If I performed the block, and had that complication, I wouldn't let the guy play either, even if he wasn't symptomatic. Given that he was discharged from the hospital on the same day, he did not have a collapsed lung. That would have required a chest tube, and a couple of nights in the hospital. He may have had a minor pneumothorax, which is typically treated with observation and 100% oxygen.
The block is done with 3-5 cc of local anesthetic per rib, which wouldn't cause any problems if injected into the lung. I do all of my blocks with ultrasound, but it isn't always helpful for this one (depending on which segment of the rib needs to be blocked).
